Customer Service Representatives

Explore your interest in customer service by getting a job that deals with the public on a day-to-day basis. Talk with people who work with customers and customer service every day; find out what they like and dislike about their jobs. There are other ways that you can prepare for a career in this field while you're still in school. Join your school's business club to get a feel for what goes on in the business world today. Doing volunteer work for a local charity or homeless shelter can help you decide if serving others is something that you'd enjoy doing as a career.

Evaluate the customer service at the businesses you visit. What makes that salesperson at the Gap better than the customer service representative you talked with last week? Volunteer to answer phones at an agency such as a nonprofit organization in your town or city. Most receptionists in small companies and nonprofits are called on to provide customer service to callers. The nonprofit organization might be especially open to the help, and you will get a firsthand look at customer service.